Bεнιηd тнε Bσσкsнεlf
by Fruitloop-1
Summary: "You know, I don't even get why you hide. It's not like she actually notices you. Butch, I'm saying this because I'm your brother and I care about you: man up." But I couldn't stop thinking about her. And even to this day I was still hung up on her. Too bad I couldn't even look her in the eye without turning into a mess. Brick was right, she didn't even know I existed. [PPGZxRRBZ]
1. Part I

**AN: I wasn't planning on putting up any stories or updating anything until the start of July because my exams have already begun. And this story was definitely not in my agenda. Technically, this is a one-shot. A very long one-shot. That's why I'm splitting it up into three chapters. But it's still a one-shot.**

**I was inspired by a review from one of my stories (When in Venice - so I guess this one-shot could be considered a prequel), so I was writing this during my exams to lighten up my mood a bit. I wasn't planning on putting it out in the public because it's quite different from what I normally write.**

**But it's been sitting here for weeks on my laptop and I've been debating for a long time. So here it is. This one-shot is in Butch's POV (because I wanted to try something different). It's not just about the whole ButchxKaoru fandom, but there's also BrickxMomoko and BoomerxMiyako in there too.**

**To be honest, it's not so much romance as it is comedy and drama. This is about Butch's quirky view on his university life, so there's a lot of mention of his brothers. By the way, this is an AU fic, no such things as Powerpuff Girls Z.**

**Alright, I'm going to stop blabbing and let you read.**

* * *

**_.:PART I:._**

* * *

Damn her. _Damn her._ I hated her so much. How could she just sit there, acting like nothing was going on when I sat here suffering. _Damn_ her.

"Hey, bro. That's an unusual hiding place you got there."

I jumped and turned around to see my brother standing there, smirking. I frowned, "What the hell are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, this is the campus library. It's not like I'm not allowed here, you know. But seriously, dude. Why are you hiding underneath a table?"

I had to admit that I did feel pretty stupid, but right now someone else had taken up my usual hiding spot near the the computers, so I was left with no other choice than to hide under a table.

"You know, I don't even get why you hide. It's not like she actually notices you."

"Shut up," I snapped, glancing back at her.

"Butch, I'm saying this because I'm your brother and I care about you: _man up_."

"Fuck you," I said, still not taking my eyes off her.

"Too late. While you were too busy stalking, I'd already gotten myself a girlfriend."

This was news. I turned back to Brick, "You? A girlfriend? Is this some sort of joke?"

He glared at me, "You're just jealous that I'm going out with a hottie and you're still stuck on that chick. I mean, geez! Have you even talked to her before?"

I snorted, "Of course I have."

"When?"

"Just last week. We were both at Starbucks and we bumped into each other. We both apologised to one another."

There was a pause, "Then?" prompted Brick.

"That's it."

"Dude, that's not talking! Wait, _please_ tell me you know her name..."

I frowned, offended, "Of course I know her name!"

"Do you know anything else about her?"

"She's Kaoru Matsubara, studying Botany in Environmental Sciences...and she's hot."

Brick smacked his forehead but quickly straightened up as a girl approached him. She had long red hair that was tied up with a white bow. She was smartly dressed in a white elegant top and black skirt. I saw her smiling at my brother as he grinned back. Who the heck _was_ she?

Brick murmured something in her ear which made her laugh before he turned to me, "Butch, this is my girlfriend, Momoko. Momoko, this is my younger brother, Butch."

"Not the youngest, of course. That would be Boomer," I said. I always hated it when people mixed me up with Boomer and thought I was the youngest, so I made it a habit to clear that out on the first meet-and-greet. It's not always easy being the middle child.

Momoko grinned, "Hey, there, Butch. So you're the 'Reverse-Romeo'?"

I narrowed my eyes at Brick who looked nervous, "Oh, so you gave me a nickname, huh?"

"Well, it's not my fault you can't make a move on the girl!" he cried.

Momoko raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, what? A girl? Who is she? Maybe I can help?"

I was about to say 'no', but then Brick (being the little bitch that he is) pointed Kaoru out to her.

Momoko's eyes widened, "Kaoru? You mean you like _Kaoru?_"

Brick scoffed, "You know her?"

"Of course! She's one of my best friends!"

Woah, I wasn't expecting that. I quickly glared at her, "You better not tell her!"

Brick narrowed his eyes at me, "Dude, don't be so rude. She hasn't done anything!"

Momoko rolled her eyes and place her hand gently on his arm, "Brick, it's fine," then she turned to me, "I won't say anything, but I _will_ help you."

"Help me with what?"

"Asking out Kaoru. I mean, honestly! That girl really needs to get out more!"

I shook my head, "Uh, no thank you. I'm doing perfectly fine without your help."

"I never said it was an option," she said, smiling at me, but her tone was dark.

Brick looked nervous, "Babe, how about we go get some coffee?"

"Sure," then Momoko grinned at me, "You're so freaking adorable! It was nice meeting you. See you later."

...bitch.

I frowned at Brick and Momoko as they left the library. Those two were insane. Shaking my head, I diverted my attention back to Kaoru...who was no longer there. _Damn. _She must've headed back to class while I was talking to my brother.

I checked my watch and realised I didn't have any other classes so I was pretty much free to go home.

* * *

I lived in the worst apartment in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo City so the person who lived above me made a lot of racket (because the guy was in a band..._or so he said_).  
Tonight, I heard him hosting some college party, making the worst possible noise ever (not to mention that he invited over seventy people...I lost count after seventy-three).

Sighing and dragging myself out of bed, I went upstairs to complain, but when the door opened, I was met with a seventeen-year-old from the local school, not my neighbour.

He laughed at me in this really high-pitched voice (probably drunk) and then yelled, "Sorry, old man. This party's for us young 'uns!" Then he abruptly closed the door.

I stood there stunned for quite a long time. I had never...ever..._ever_ been called an 'old man' before. Heck! I was only twenty-two! That didn't make me an old man!

...Did it?

Anyways, after a good ten minutes standing there, I knocked on the door again. This time, some blonde chick answered. Trust me, I know what you're thinking. No, she was not hot. In fact, nowhere near it. Actually, she looked like she was going to collapse there and then, so I quickly entered the apartment and found myself drifting in a wave of bodies.

Dancing, drinking, music, lights...gosh, this was way too much at 3am when I had classes in the morning. After shuffling around the apartment awkwardly, I found my neighbour propped up against the bookshelf, busy with a brunette.

He noticed me and recognised me instantly, "Hey, I know you. You're under me, aren't you?" he said, pointing to the floor.

The brunette giggled and a realised why. My neighbour made the last statement seem so dirty... _Gosh._

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Yeah, I live downstairs. Look, dude, this is a great party and all-"

"Yeah, I know, right? Hey, wanna beer?" he said, grinning, handing me some.

I shook my head, "Uh...no thanks. I'll pass. Look, I got a long day tomorrow and I really need some shut-eye. You think you could turn down the volume a bit?"

He raised an eyebrow, amused, "You're a funny dude. You know that?"

"I wasn't being funny...I really need you to-"

"Oh, I get it. I get it," he said, getting up and excusing himself from the brunette as he slung an arm over my shoulder and staggered towards the kitchenette, "You're just here 'cause you want some stash but you're too shy to admit it and you're just making excuses."

"Actually, that's not-"

He shook his head, stopping me, "No, dude, it's fine. Really," he grinned and punched my arm playfully, "We're all friends here," then he pulled out a basket of weed from under the sink basin and held it up to me, "Go on, take some. I won't mind. We're all trying to be neighbourly, aren't we?"

After that, I just gave up. Rejecting his offer, I left his apartment and then dragged myself back down to my own apartment, falling into my bed in a depressing manner. I finally decided that I would just have to wish for a miracle to let me sleep through the insane brouhaha upstairs.

* * *

"Butch, wake up!"

I shot up and looked around to see Boomer kneeling down beside my bed. I groaned and plopped back onto the mattress again.

"Butch, come on. It's almost time for class," he said as he dragged the covers off of me.

Stupid neighbour. He just had to keep me up half the night, didn't he? "What time is it?" I murmured.

"8:45. Class starts at 9:35. You have less than an hour. Come on."

Damn it. I reluctantly got out of bed and headed off to the bathroom to take a quick shower while Boomer sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels. Boomer came over to my apartment every morning since we both shared the same classes for Human Geography. That, and he was my personal alarm clock.

He lived in the same building as me but his apartment was on the west wing of the building which had a great view of the city. My apartment was on the east wing which had an amazing view of the backstreet alleyway, the dumpsters and the trashy local brothel.

Notice the sarcasm?

And how on earth did Boomer get so _lucky?_ His girlfriend, Miyako, lived in the apartment next to him, so it was easy for them to see each other. The apartment next to mine held a junkie. So did the apartment to my right. And the one upstairs...in fact, my apartment was _surrounded_ by crackpots and junkies.

Shaking my head, I took a quick rinse in the shower and got dressed in a dark green t-shirt and black baggy trousers since it wasn't too cold outside. I dried my hair and then decided that a granola bar would make a fine breakfast since I was in a bit of a hurry. Boomer switched off the TV and we both grabbed our books and left for class.

When we reached the lecture hall, I sat in my usual seat in the fifth row next to Boomer. I got my laptop out and prepared for the lesson as the professor walked in. I only had two lectures for today. The one right now was based on human population.

"Alright class. Quieten down. It's time to begin."

He popped up a PowerPoint slideshow onto the projector at the front and turned off the lights as we sat in silence and began typing out what was written on the slide down in our laptops as he began explaining. At that point, I zoned out, only taking in snippets of the lecture and mechanically taking down notes.

I wondered what Kaoru was doing at this very moment. I knew she had a class right now too, though I wasn't sure what topic the lecture was on. I didn't know what she found so interesting about plants that she wanted to take a degree in _Botany_, but I wasn't talking when I had an interest in Human Geography.

Kaoru was the same age as me, black layered hair and the most beautiful green eyes. I met her on the first day of university. Well, '_met_' seemed like a far-fetched word...'_saw_' was more like it. I still remembered how out of place she had looked at campus.

She had been wearing a shirt and a cardigan with loose jeans and dorky glasses. She wasn't like the other barbie-resembling girls in university. Her older brother had been with her, helping her carry a few bags to the dormitory, and I actually thought she looked pretty shy and nervous.

I was about to walk up and introduce myself to her when some guy approached, probably to hit on her as a dare or something. But he never got the chance as her arm shot out and punched him straight in the nose and he fell, looking up at her in surprise. She didn't spare him a glance or barely acknowledge him as she walked towards the dormitory, her brother snickering behind her.

After that episode, I quickly ran away, worried she'd catch me staring and decide to knock _me_ out too.

But I couldn't stop thinking about her, and unintentionally I would look out for her everyday; with fear or interest, I wasn't quite sure, but I'd do it nonetheless. And even to this day I was still hung up on her, but by now I knew it wasn't fear: I really liked her. Too bad I couldn't even look her in the eye without turning into a mess.

Brick was right, she didn't even know I existed.

Boomer suddenly nudged me, "Butch, it's the end of class."

"Huh? Oh, right. Thanks."

* * *

Things like this always happened to me. Why? I didn't know. Maybe I was just born with bad luck or something. Was that even possible? I mean, my brothers had far better luck than me, although Boomer always reassured me that it was nothing but a coincidence that bad things happened to me.

_Sure._

I wasn't over-exaggerating, this stuff actually happened to me. I mean, there was this one time when my brothers and I were five and our grandma had taken us out for ice-cream at the shopping mall. She forgot there were three of us and only brought two kids back home to my parents. Guess who the two kids were? Brick and Boomer.

Where was I? Still in the food court of the mall, picking on the pieces of people's meals. My parents went ballistic and my mother nearly had a mental breakdown. Luckily, the mall guard who had found me loitering beside a bin knew who my parents were and so safely drove me home.

I think that was the day that my dad broke the news to my grandma that she needed to get her eyes tested.

Then, when my brothers and I were nine, we went on this camping trip. Brick and Boomer got the same tent and were ecstatic that they would have so much fun together. Me? I got stuck with Booger Nose Bob: the guy who kept picking his nose. And as if that hadn't been bad, he even had the cold when we went camping and so he would show me his slithery snot and ask me to name them.

_Yuck._

I remembered curling myself into a tight ball and huddled in the corner with my blanket and made sure we both knew our personal spaces in the tent. Still, that didn't help that during the night he kept sneezing and coughing on me. Suffice to say, by the end of the camping trip, everyone had a great time and I was sitting at the back of the bus, sneezing my ass off.

There were even times where we had to stop the bus so I could vomit. Not the best way to get girls, I assure you. And to rub it in my face even more, Booger Nose Bob had gotten better by the end of the trip and so he enjoyed his time laughing and goofing around with his friends while Brick steered clear out of my way, worried I would '_contaminate_' him.

I think Boomer was the only civilised nine-year-old on the bus as he sat in the seat in front of me with a box of tissues and made sure I blew my nose every three minutes. I was the reason why he met Miyako. Apparently, she thought my brother was the cutest little thing, taking care of me and all.

Now I got embarrassed everytime I saw her because even though it had been thirteen years, she still remembered me as the sick guy at the back of the bus who just so happened to have a cute brother. Her words, not mine.

Then, when we went to secondary school for the first time, my brothers were quickly accepted as great guys. Brick became part of the swim team and Boomer joined the poetry club whilst I tried to run away from my impending doom as the seniors chased me and searched for a bin to dump me into. Yeah, school? Not one of my best memories.

Then, when we had the school dance for our last year in secondary, my brothers immediately had dates. Boomer obviously had Miyako, they'd been best friends since the age of nine (as you already know) and started dating at the age of thirteen, so it was no surprise that they went to the dance together. And Brick? Hello, _swim team?_ He was a _magnet_ for chicks! He got the hottest girl in school to go with him to the dance.

By that time I was already part of the Earthquake Society, so it was no wonder that I didn't attract any girls. They probably thought I was some kind of geek or something. Even now I still felt embarrassed. But to be honest, Earthquake Society was actually quite fun, and we didn't do just earthquakes, but we also talked about tectonic plates and volcanoes (_I could now make amazing volcanoes, people!_).

But end story? No girl looked at me once, forget twice. So in the end, I had to go to the dance with Alex. Who was a _guy_. Turned out that he was part of the Radioactivity Society and was in the same situation as me: no date offers. But on a positive note, he was considerate enough to bring me a rose. That made me feel guilty for not buying the guy chocolates or something.

To be honest, Alex and I didn't stay at the dance for too long. By the time it got to the slow dance part, we both gave each other a salute and parted our own ways.

Ah, Alex. What a great guy. I hadn't seen him since that night. Perhaps, I should've called him to see how he was getting along.

But the truth was I had been hoping university would offer me the chance in a lifetime to have some good luck. And other than my apartment being situated in the worst possible position, university life wasn't so bad. Until _she_ popped into my life. Now I was hiding behind bookshelves in the library, watching her. If there was a level of desperation, I would be at an all time low.

"You're drooling."

I jumped up and spun around to find Momoko raising an eyebrow at me, an amused smirk on her lips. I frowned, embarrassed at being caught watching her best friend, "What do _you_ want?" I asked as I wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth.

She sighed, "Butch, I know you need help."

"I don't need your help."

"I know you need my help but you don't want it. So I'm going to help you anyway, no matter what Brick says about you."

"Look, I don't- Wait. What did Brick say about me?"

"You're queer."

"Am not!"

She smirked, "And that you also haven't ever been with a girl before. How adorable."

"My brother has a big mouth," I muttered.

She shrugged, "But I'm still right. You need my help," she paused and then said, "Look, I've known Kaoru since I was ten. And if it makes you feel any better, she's never been with a guy before. So you're both on even ground."

Woah, that was news. Kaoru had never been with a guy before? That was surprising. She was pretty. _Really_ pretty. I had always assumed... I looked back at Momoko's smug smile.

Shit, the girl really did know what she was talking about.

"I know a lot of other things about her. If you let me help you-"

"What's in it for you?"

She seemed genuinely surprised when she said, "What?"

I sighed, "I mean, why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

She seemed to think about it for a while before responding, "I don't know really. I mean, you're my boyfriend's little brother-"

"Not the youngest," I reminded her once again.

She smiled and then continued, "And when I saw you looking at Kaoru, you looked like you were in your own little world. Aw, no, don't be embarrassed about it," she said as my face heated up and I looked away, "It's really cute that you like her. And I totally understand why you would be hiding away from her. I mean, you've never been with a girl, and suddenly you like her... You're just afraid of rejection."

Her words were true and they made me feel uncomfortable, but I tried to cover it up with a scoff, "Please. As if I'm afraid of rejection. That's the last thing on my mind." Who was I kidding? _Of course I was afraid!_ I mean, Kaoru didn't even know I existed and here I was, like some kind of pervert, watching her.

Momoko raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that so? Well, then. I guess you don't have anything to worry about now. Go ahead and ask her out."

Shit. Wait. What? "Um, what? _Now?_"

She nodded, smirking, challenging me, "Of course now. If you're not afraid, go ahead and ask her out. Unless, of course, Brick was right and you really are scared."

The mention of my brother flared some kind of envy in me. I wanted to be as smooth as him, get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted without having to worry about the consequences. I wanted to prove him wrong. I wanted to prove everyone wrong. I was brave. I was confident. I was a grown man; an adult! Why was I so afraid?

With that mentality, I stood up straight and walked over to where Kaoru was busy skimming through a book at a shelf. Momoko hadn't been expecting this reaction from me as her jaw dropped, and I was glad I surprised her. She probably thought I was some kind of coward. Well, not anymore.

Watch out, world! Butch Jojo is coming through, all new and improved!

I was so charged and pumped up that by the time I reached her, I realised I didn't even know what to say to her. And suddenly all my confidence broke down and I wanted to run away. But it was too late as she turned around and jumped, startled to see me.

"Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Wow, even her voice was beautiful. It was like a soothing melody to my ears. ...Damn, was I whipped.

"Oh, uh. No problem. I was just, uh..." I glanced at the book in her hand, "I was going to get a book."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really? I never would've guessed," she said sarcastically, "This is a library after all."

I was an idiot. "Oh, yeah, well...I wanted a specific kind of book."

She chuckled, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it..."

"Butch. My name's Butch."

"Hm, interesting," she looked at me with calculating eyes, analysing me as if I were some kind of interesting specimen. It was probably a habit for her since she did Botany. She nodded, "Alright, I'll see you later, Butch."

And with that, she walked away, oblivious to the train wreck she'd left behind. That train wreck was me.

* * *

**AN: This is just the first part. I will hopefully update the second part within two weeks. And if you want a sneak peek of the second part earlier, be sure to check out my website in the next week. The link is up on my profile.**

**By the way, since I haven't had a lot of time to spare, there could be serious mistakes in this. Let me know!**

**And last, but not least, review! :D**


	2. Part II

**AN: Okay. Yesterday was my last day of exams. So this is officially my summer holiday. Yipee! Although I won't be updating regularly until around the 28th of June because I still have a bit of work-shadowing left. So look out for that day! So, thank you for the patience, and here's Part II of the story: on time, just like I promised! ;D**

* * *

_**.:PART II:.**_

* * *

"Dude, you actually _talked_ to her? As in, you had a proper _conversation_ with her?" asked Brick, completely shell-shocked.

Miyako rolled her eyes, "Don't be so rude, Brick," she said as she poured a bottle of sparkling water into our glasses.

He looked at her, "Are you kidding me? You haven't seen the way he pines after her, like some sort of sick puppy in love."

"I think it's very nice. Besides, Butch is a gentleman, which is the least I could say for you."

Boomer dragged out an _'ooh'_ as he wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple, "See? This is why I love you."

Miyako raised an eyebrow, "Because I insult your brother?"

"No, because you're just full of surprises."

Brick and I pretended to gag as they both kissed. "We know, we know. She's the cutest little thing on the planet. Now could you two please stop that? Butch and I are trying to eat like civilised people."

"Depends on what your definition of 'civilised' is," I muttered.

Boomer snorted in ill-concealed laughter and Miyako tried to hide her smile as Brick whacked me across the head, "Asshole."

"Takes one to know one, brother," I mocked.

"Aright, guys. No need to fight," said Miyako as she and Boomer brought out dinner onto the table.

"He started it," mumbled Brick.

I snorted, "Very mature."

Miyako sighed and rolled her eyes, "Men."

Boomer chuckled and placed the cutlery beside the individual plates, "But at least you talked to the girl," he said to me, "How did it happen?"

"Oh, that reminds me. Brick, tell your girlfriend 'thanks'," I said, grinning.

He raised a suspicious eyebrow at me, "Why...?"

"Because she told me that you call me a queer behind my back."

His eyes widened and he gave a nervous chuckle, "I never actually meant it..."

Boomer muttered to Brick, "But you always call him a queer."

I gave a dark grin to my older brother and raised a threatening eyebrow, "Is that so?"

Brick frowned, "Only because you've never been with a girl before. What was I supposed to think? That you're straight?"

And as if to make me feel better, Miyako added, "Oh, Butch. Don't worry so much. We all love you even if you are gay."

Boomer burst out laughing at that. I wasn't mad at Miyako, after all she had my best interests at heart. I was mad at my brothers for being such dicks.

"You know what?" I snapped, suddenly standing up from the table as everyone began to eat, "Fuck you. I'm leaving."

Miyako's expression softened, "No, Butch. Don't leave. We were just joking."

I shook my head. I wouldn't argue with her.

Boomer got up as I walked towards the door, putting on my coat, "Butch, don't. Look, I'm sorry. We were just messing around. I'm really sorry. We shouldn't have said that. I'm actually really glad that you talked to her."

I sighed, "Thanks, Boomer."

I then heard Brick mutter from the dining room, "Fucking drama queen. He acts so gay."

I narrowed my eyes and looked back to Boomer, "But I really don't want to stay for dinner tonight. Maybe some other time." And with that, I left his apartment and made my way down the hallways to the elevator.

I actually kind of appreciated Boomer apologising. At least he knew he had hurt my feelings. And I knew he never meant to hurt me, he was just the kind of person who liked to make people laugh. But Brick was beginning to get to me. He kept underestimating me and, as much as I hated to be weak about, it fucking hurt. I was going to go back to my apartment, but I realised I needed some fresh air. So I pressed the down button on the elevator and then left the apartment building.

The university library was open practically 24/7 except for the holidays, so I decided to make my way there. Only a handful of people stayed in the library after the evening, and barely few went through the bookshelves in the night. Which was why it wasn't such a surprise when I arrived there to see that there were only three people at the tables with a desk lamp on.

What did surprised me however was the fact that she was here. Kaoru was at the far corner of the library with a desk lamp shining down on her stack of books. She was hunched over, her hair slipping out of her loose messy bun and strands shielding her face while she made notes, referring back and forth to her textbook.

I quietly sat down at the desk right in front of her. She didn't notice me as she was still engrossed in her studies.

I cleared my throat, "Hey."

She didn't bother looking up as she murmured a, "Hi," back at me. She probably thought I was just another one of those overnight study students.

"That looks interesting," I muttered, looking at her textbook which was filled with diagrams and notes on what looked like ferns.

This time, she did look up and instantly recognised me. A hint of a smile played at the corner of her lips, and even though she looked exhausted from the work, I still thought she was amazing, "It is," she replied, "This chapter is on Pteridology: otherwise commonly known as 'ferns'."

"Wow, ferns. Interesting," I said, sarcastically and inwardly wishing it didn't sound too rude.

She snorted, "Okay, maybe it isn't interesting to _you_ because you're not into plants like me.

My speciality's in Botany, you see. For environmental sciences," she then paused, "What's your course?"

"Human Geography. Social sciences."

She looked surprised, "Really? I don't think I've ever noticed you in the campus. Surely we've crossed paths once or twice."

I didn't tell her the fact that we crossed paths nearly every day but she just simply never noticed. So I shrugged and said, "Big world."

She raised an eyebrow and made a sound of amusement.

"So let me guess. Big exam. Last minute studying?"

Her eyes widened before she smiled, "Oh, you're good. Or am I really that transparent?"

"Bit of both, actually. Frankly-" I was cut off as my phone went off.

The other two people who were studying immediately turned to glare at me. Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "You didn't turn off your phone before you came in?"

I didn't answer her as I quickly looked at the caller ID. Brick? What did he want? I cut off his call and put my phone on silence. Just as I did that, I got a text from him, _'Where are you?'_

Why was he even looking for me? My bad mood returned and I felt like going back to my apartment.

Kaoru seemed to sense that something was wrong and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's been a long night. I think I'll head home now."

I could swear she looked a little disappointed and I felt bad about leaving her here on her own again. But just as quickly as the emotion had come, it disappeared from her face as she nodded, "Sure. We'll talk some other time. Yeah?"

I smiled, "Sounds like a promise."

And just like I thought she would, she scoffed, "Leave. Now."

I chuckled and left the library, and as soon as I went outside into the cold wind, I felt my anger return and I stormed towards the apartment building and went into my apartment.  
Stepping through the door, I put my coat on a hook and turned the lights on. There, sitting on my living room sofa, Brick sat with his arms folded and a frown on his face. He was angry? Please, bitch, I was pissed.

"Where have you been?" he asked, like he was my mother or something.

"Outside, obviously," I replied, as calmly as possible.

He scowled, "I mean where?"

"I don't think that's any of your concern."

"Of course it's my concern. You're my little brother."

"Quit treating me like I'm a kid!" I snapped, "And what about Boomer? He goes wherever he wants without anyone butting into his business. Why do I have to put up with you? It's not like I go anywhere most of the time anyway. Especially not in the night. So when I go outside for one night, you suddenly take a freaking psycho on me?"

He stood up, "Freaking psycho? Why the hell are you being such a drama queen? Geez, you just up and left dinner tonight."

"So? I don't see the problem."

He laughed, "Ha! As if. You hurt their feelings. Boomer and Miyako invited us to come over to their place for dinner and you just messed it up. How do you think they feel?"

_"How do you think I feel?"_

There was silence.

Brick looked confused, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I shook my head, refusing to break down in front of him. "Leave."

"You can't make me-"

"Get. Out."

He glanced at my clenched fists and the way I was trying to avoid looking at him. Because I knew that if I looked at him, I would probably punch him. He sighed and muttered, "You're acting like a bitch."

"And you're acting like you know me."

I wish I hadn't said that. I was angry, yes. But that's not what I should've said. I should've apologised. But I didn't. He didn't say anything either. He just put on his blazer and walked out the door. If he was trying to make me feel guilty, it was working. But he also made me angry at him too.

I took off my shirt and tie and then threw off my shoes before turning off the lights and just diving into my bed. I made sure to lock the door. I didn't want Boomer to come in the morning. I didn't want to see anybody. I just wanted some peace and quiet.  
I thought about Kaoru and smiled. And on that happy note, I fell asleep.

* * *

When I finally woke up, I felt droopy and drained of energy. Something in my heart was dragging me down and I wondered why I was feeling so depressed. Suddenly, the events of last night came back to me and I groaned and hid my face in the pillow. And just like any big event, there was always the aftermath.

Fuck.

After about half an hour later, I looked at the clock. It was almost lunchtime. I closed my eyes again, hoping to fall asleep. Then I suddenly shot up from bed.

_Shit._

Shit. Shit. _Shit._

Class. I had classes in the morning. _Fuck! _Where the heck was Boomer? He always woke me up! But then I remembered that I had locked the door last night so that no one would be able to come in. But then, why didn't he just call me?

I reached for the phone on my bedside table and it read _'31 missed-calls'._

Jesus.

Had I slept through _thirty-one_ freaking calls? How had I not heard them? Then I noticed at the top of my phone was the _'Silence'_ symbol. Oh, yeah. I put my phone on silence yesterday. I never turned it back off.

I looked through my missed-calls to find seventeen from Boomer and fourteen from Miyako. None from Brick.

I sighed and dragged my sorry ass from bed as I dialled Boomer. I pulled a t-shirt over my head and then he picked up, "Where are you, Butch?"

"Home."

"_Still?_ You missed three lectures!"

"I know," I muttered.

I heard him sigh on the line, "This isn't like you Butch. Is there something wrong?" There was real concern in his voice.

"I don't want to talk about it. Look, I'll be at class in a second."

"Alright. But...if you need to talk..."

"I know, I know. Bye."

And with that, I hung up, not wanting to hear anymore. I guess Brick hadn't told him about our little fight last night. All for the better, I supposed. After all, Boomer would go all 'shrink-mode' on the both of us.

I put on my shoes and grabbed an apple to go, slipping my messenger bag over my shoulder before heading out the door. By the time I got to campus, morning classes had finished and it was now time for lunch.

Students rushed out and I hurried to find my lecture room when I suddenly crashed into someone. I heard something break and I felt something flying into my face as I got knocked down onto the ground. I sat up and opened my eyes.

Soil. I was covered in soil. And lots of it.

I shook it out of my hair and then took a good look at the person I had crashed into. Shit. _Kaoru._

She hardly noticed me as she looked devastated towards the plants that were lying on the ground. Ceramic pots lay broken and plants were trampled and torn.

_"No!"_ she exclaimed, trying to gather up the pieces. She looked like she was going to cry.

"I'm really sorry," I said, quickly.

Kaoru looked up at me. She seemed murderous. "_You!_ You did this!"

Oops. "I-I'm really sorry!"

"I _hate_ you," she hissed, as she cupped one of the surviving plants into her hands. Then she murmured to herself, "I worked so hard..._damn it."_

"Here, let me help y-"

"No. Just stay away from me," she snapped, "I don't need your fucking help."

One of the botany professors had just come out of teaching a class, took one good look at us and saw the mess, knowing immediately what happened. He reassured Kaoru and helped her to take care of the plants and the soil. I didn't know what else to do so I just walked away, feeling dejected.

Great. My older brother was ignoring me. And the only girl I'd ever liked who finally just noticed me even hated me. This wasn't bad luck. Bad luck had always been the story of my life.

No, I was a freaking _jinx._

I wanted to go back to my apartment and drown my sorrow in ice-cream, but it was already bad enough that I'd missed three classes by sleeping late. I couldn't afford to miss anymore classes so I had to stay.

I decided to try and find Boomer and Miyako, hoping maybe they could take my mind off of things. And I also needed to apologise to them for ruining their dinner last night. I finally found them near the vending machines and was about to head on over when I saw that Brick and Momoko were with them.

Great.

Momoko noticed me and grinned, waving me over. I shook my head and walked away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Brick walking away from them too. I guess he was still not talking to me. Not knowing what else to do, I just went to the library.

Normally I went there to spy on Kaoru, but I guess that wasn't an option today. Perhaps I could read a book. Shakespeare's Macbeth? Or maybe Dante's Inferno? I took a seat at the back and settled for the classic tale of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Frankly, I needed something distracting.

However, in the middle of reading, my thoughts wandered back to Brick and Kaoru and I sighed, closing the book. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

I was eating a big bucket of Ben & Jerry's and watching one of those chick flicks when my phone rang. Pausing 'Mean Girls', I checked my phone, wondering who could be calling me up at twelve on a Friday night.

_Unknown caller._

I frowned and accepted the call, "Hello?"

"Hi, Butch. It's Momoko."

I sighed, "Great. What do you want?"

"It's a pleasure hearing from you too," she said, sarcasm evident in her tone, "I got a call from Kaoru."

"Aw, fuck."

"Don't worry, she doesn't know I know you. She was just rambling on about how you messed up her tomato plants and how long she had to care for them and how much-"

"I get it," I snapped.

"My bad," she said, although she sounded anything but, "I then found out that you've been avoiding everyone."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that a crime?"  
"No, but I was talking to Brick about it." _Shit._ "I was telling him how it might have had something to do with Kaoru. And maybe I'm right since you're not usually in such a foul mood. But then he got all tense and wouldn't want to talk to me about you. Care to tell me why?"

Busted. "He started it!" I exclaimed, not knowing what else to say.

Then I heard Brick's voice in the background, "Nu-uh! He did! Don't believe him, Momoko!"

I narrowed my eyes, "Momoko, is he there?"

"Butch, open your door," she said.

"What?"

"Open your door."

"My front door?"

"No, your car door," she said, sarcastically, "Of course your front door!"

I got up, confused, and unlocked the door. And I almost had a heart attack when I saw Momoko standing there, holding Brick tightly by the wrist. He looked as enthusiastic as me, which wasn't very enthusiastic.

Momoko grinned at the both of us, "Since you two are having sibling squabbles and, being men and all, are too stubborn to even talk about it, I'm going to force you to talk about it."

"I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled, but then Momoko caught me by the wrist too.

Geez, the woman had a tight grip!

"This isn't an option. It's a must."

And on that wonderfully cheerful note, she dragged us into my bedroom and asked me where my keys were. I pulled them out of my back pocket and she snatched it out of my hands. Before Brick or I could stop her, she quickly shut my bedroom door and locked us both in there.

From the outside she said, "I will let the both of you out when you've talked through your feelings."

"Feelings?" I muttered.

There was silence...and awkwardness. There was an awkward silence.

"I have nothing to say to you," said Brick, angrily.

I snorted, "Feeling's mutual."

More silence.

I stared out the window of my bedroom while Brick fiddled with something on my desk.  
Well, this was a productive way to spend my time.

"What did you mean?" he suddenly asked after a long stretch of awkward silence.

I looked at him, confused, "What are you talking about?"

He swallowed, obviously feeling uncomfortable talking like this. I knew how he felt. We'd never had a proper conversation like this, it had always been the both of us bickering back and forth, the teasing the taunting. It was just the way it worked between us.

"Last night. I said something about how Boomer and Miyako felt about the dinner. And then you said something about how you felt. I mean...I was just...surprised. You've never lost your cool like that before. What did you mean?"

I remembered. Damn, I really didn't want to talk about this. Not now. Not ever. But especially not now. Though, considering how Momoko was probably guarding the door on the outside, I had no other choice.

I sighed, "I just...," Brick looked up, probably thinking I wasn't going to say anything, "It's just not fair."

And suddenly, I felt like a child again. I was vulnerable.

"What's not fair?" he pressed slowly.

I hesitated, "It's not fair... I'm the middle child, but everyone always notices either you or Boomer. They don't notice me, and when they do, they don't remember me. I'm nothing like you. I'm nothing like Boomer. I'm the freaking loser of the family, bad luck just follows me around...and..." I trailed off, feeling pathetic.

I'd never said this stuff out loud. I'd never even wanted to think about it. It was the truth, but I'd always tried to convince myself it wasn't. And now that I was saying it out loud, I felt like such a freaking _loser._

"You're not a loser," he said.

"But you tell me all the time. I'm a freaking drama queen, well maybe I am."

Brick's eye widened, "You actually believe all that?"

"No...but it hurts," I mumbled. I felt embarrassed; I just wanted this to be over with. "Momoko, can we come out now?"

"No, not yet, Momoko," said Brick, still not taking his eyes off of me, "Geez, why didn't you tell me? I mean, I know the university courses are hard, but I didn't think-"

"This isn't recent, Brick. I've always felt like this."

That shocked him more than I thought it would. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut. He then glared at me, "Why didn't you ever _tell_ me?"

My anger built up and then I cried, "Because you're always making fun of me! I've never dated in my life, and you immediately think I'm gay! Have you ever thought that maybe I _did _like girls in secondary school? Have you ever thought that maybe I was just such a _geek_ that no girl wanted to be _seen_ with me?  
"And when I told you that I liked Kaoru, you called me queer because I couldn't ask the girl out. Have you ever wondered that maybe I'm _scared?_ Maybe I'm scared that _she_ won't want to be seen with me either, just like all those other girls?

"Geez, Brick. You say it like it's _my_ fault. Haven't you ever wondered that maybe I wanted to be liked for once in my life? I never wanted to be popular, I just wanted to people to notice me. But all my life I've always been the guy who blends in with the background. And if it's not that, then I'm the weird loser nerd. And if it's not that, then maybe I'm just a jinx." I huffed and sat on my bed, my back turned to him.

There was silence.

"Do you really believe that?"

"I know it."

Brick laughed and I wanted to punch him. Here I was, practically pouring my heart out, and now he was laughing at me? Just what kind of a brother was he?

"Wow. Just wow," he said, "And here, all this time, I thought you were the perfect son."

Confused, I turned to face him, "What do you mean?"

"How could you not have noticed? Geez, Butch. I mean, look at you: you're a nice guy, you've got the best grades, the looks, you're a freaking comedian. You're good at practically everything! Albeit you're not very good with girls. But me? I just do what I'm good at. I'm not like you. I don't enjoy life like you do. In fact, until Momoko came into my life, I always felt bored all around.

"Look, Butch. I'm really sorry I teased you. I never meant any of that. You know I didn't. It's a habit. A very bad habit. And I'm really sorry about that. But don't you dare say that no one cares. Boomer and I think you're the best brother ever. You're a great guy, Butch, and if others don't see that, then that's _their_ problem.

"And besides, Miyako, Momoko and Kaoru like you. You don't need any more girls than that, do you?" he teased, smirking at me.

I managed a small smile too before it fell, and then I sighed, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you were right. I'm terrible with girls. And now Kaoru hates my guts. So I guess it's just back to Miyako and Momoko on my _'girls who like Butch Jojo'_ list."

"Oh, yeah, Momoko told me about that. Don't worry about Kaoru, it'll be fine. Besides, I don't think she's _that_ angry at you."

I sighed, "I guess I better apologise too. Sorry for being such a...bitch."

"You finally admitted it."

"Fuck you," I said with a smirk before punching him in the arm.

He punched me back.

"You know...there's only one way to make this apology-slash-confession official."

He raised an eyebrow, "And how's that?"

"A big old bear hug."

He wrinkled his nose, "I take back what I said earlier, you really are a queer."

I rolled my eyes and jumped onto him.

"Argh! What the hell, dude! Get off me!"

At that moment, Momoko walked in, "I think that was the cutest and most touching conversation I've heard two guys have."

"You were listening?" muttered Brick.

"Maybe," she grinned.

I had to give the girl some props: she was good.

"Oh, and by the way. Butch, I never knew you were a 'Mean Girls' fan," she said to me.

Damn, I must've left the TV on. I grinned back, "Well, you know me. I'm just your ordinary _Plastic._"

Momoko giggled and Brick scoffed, "Mean Girls, really? Butch, seriously. This would've made more sense if you were queer."

I threw my textbook at him.

* * *

**AN: Oh, the drama! I'll, hopefully, update the third part on 28th June.**

**And for those who are still doing exams: good luck (especially those who are on their GCSEs or A-levels…trust me, the work pays off - and besides, you have the rest of the summer to have fun to make up for the lost time!)**

**Now I'm all freaked out about my results. But that's all the way in August, so I'll make use of my time. Now it's time for me to enjoy the wonderful heatwave we're having here in London! I hope you detected the sarcasm there.**

**And last, but not least, review! :D**


	3. Part III

**AN: Voila! The last part of the one-shot. Just like I promised!**

**And if you've noticed, it's 28th June! Know what that means? Regular updates! More news on that at the bottom.**

**But for now, enjoying reading!**

* * *

**.:PART III:.**

* * *

As I walked into the greenhouse, Kaoru narrowed her eyes at me and walked away.

I sighed, "Still upset?"

"What do you think?"

I was surprised she even answered, I thought she was going to give me the silent treatment. Guess not. "Are the plants oka-"

"No, they're not. I had to throw them out. Only one of them managed to survive."

"Oh, that's great-"

"But then it died of disease because it was still trampled. I had to throw that one out too."

"Oh." What was I supposed to say now? "Sorry I'm such a plant-killer."

Her glare told me that she wasn't in the mood for jokes.

I put my hands up in surrender, "Sorry."

"Whatever," she mumbled.

"Can I...can I see any of your other plants?"

"Why? You'll probably kill them too."

"Yeah, I probably might..."

I thought I saw a hint of a smile but I wasn't sure because she turned away and filled up a watering can. I trailed behind her, but she didn't complain.

"You look beautiful," I suddenly blurted out. Geez. Why the hell did I say _that?_

She looked at me in surprise and I thought she would smile and kiss me like in the movies. But instead, she growled and said, "Get the fuck back to class. You better hope you never see me again."

And because she was rolling up her sleeves, I decided to take her words seriously and literally ran out of the greenhouse.

Boy, was I smooth. Yep, that's me: King of Smoothness. I was so smooth, I was practically butter. Practically. But my so called _'smoothness'_ obviously had no effect on Kaoru.

Wait, there was one trick I hadn't tried.

Girls love boys who can play music. I guess I just had to be that guy. I chose a song from my phone and turned it on; then I waltzed into the greenhouse again.

Kaoru saw me and seemed a bit surprised. Probably because not many guys actually came back for a beating after she warned them.

She folded her arms and scowled at me. Aw, so cute. She was wearing another one of her loose cardigans that drooped unflatteringly off her frame, green skinny jeans that hugged her legs, and her trademark hair bun and thick-framed glasses were always there.

She was a walking fashion disaster. And she didn't even care. That's what I loved about her.

I sang along with my phone, _"I'm hot,_

_You're cold._

_You go around,_

_Like you know,_

_Who I am._

_But you don't._

_You've got me on my toes."_

Her face flushed red, from embarrassment or anger, I wasn't quite sure. The other botany students who were busy in the greenhouse stopped what they were doing and turned to look at us.

_"I'm slipping into the lava._

_And I'm tryin' to keep from going under._

_Baby, who turned the temperature hotter?_

_'Cause I'm burning up, burning up_

_For you baby."_

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed as some of the students began to take interest in us and walked over to watch.

To be honest, I was making a fool of myself. But after that pep talk I had last week with Brick, I didn't even care.

So I went down on my knees and I think Kaoru almost had a heart attack. Huh, a ring would've been nice for this occasion.

I skipped to the bridge, _"Walk in the room,_

_All I can see is you._

_You're staring me down,_

_I know you feel it too._

_I'm slipping into the lava._

_And I'm tryin' to keep from going under._

_Baby, who turned the temperature hotter?_

_'Cause I'm burning up, burning up_

_For you baby."_

The students around us clapped as I finished and I stood up to take a bow. I looked back at Kaoru who mouthed the words, "You're. Dead."

And that was when I decided it was my cue to leave, "Thank you. Thank you, one and all. You've been a great crowd."

They laughed and cheered as I gave Kaoru a quick peck on the lips before giving a mock salute then running the hell out of the greenhouse, scared for my life.

* * *

Funny how just a minute ago I felt like I was on top of the world and now I felt like I was at an all time low. I think that's what being drunk then sober is like.

Right now, I was hiding in the Dentistry department, and I don't think they were too thrilled either when I showed up unannounced without permission or even a pass card. They probably would've thrown me out but I guess they decided to have mercy on me when they saw how Kaoru was chasing me. Damn, that girl could be scary when she wanted to.

And what was I thinking! Why the hell did I kiss her? No wonder she wanted my head on a stick!

The guy who had been studying in the courtyard before he was rudely disturbed by me asked, "Is she an ex?"

I scoffed, "Hardly. I like her so I sang the girl a love song. She didn't take it very well."

The guy laughed, "Cliché, much?"

I shrugged, "...and then I kissed her."

"You rebel."

"I know."

Tokyo City University was big. _Very big._ It catered many departments which wouldn't all fit into one campus. So subject departments were separated and put into different areas of the city.

Let me put it this way, if you were in Social Sciences like me and you wanted to get to the Tourism, Transport & Travel department, you would need to take the twenty-minute train ride to get there. It just so happened that Dentistry was the closest department to the Social Sciences department, other than Environmental Sciences. But I obviously couldn't go to the Environmental Sciences department since that's where Kaoru studied. So I was stuck with Dentistry.

It was practically a crime to go into another department when you obviously had your own department, although since Environmental Sciences and Social Sciences worked well together, they were joined into one campus, which was why we were able to roam about easily and mingle with one another.

The same couldn't be said for Dentistry however. So the fact that I was in their campus, hiding under one of their tables in their library didn't do a lot of good for me.

"You know, I think she's gone," the guy said.

"She is? Are you sure?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, she probably gave up. Not everybody has the patience that you do, my friend."

I rolled my eyes and got out from under the table, "Thanks for covering for me."

"No problem, you made a good foot-rest."

I ducked out of the department and left the campus gates, searching for the next bus that would take me back to the Social Sciences department. I was exhausted. I really needed a break.

* * *

Miyako laughed when she saw the state of me. _Apparently,_ she was also one of Kaoru's best friends alongside Momoko. _Apparently,_ Kaoru had told her what happened. _Apparently,_ Kaoru knew Boomer and had known him for quite some time now. And _apparently,_ she went ballistic when she found out that I was related to him.

She threatened him to tell her where I lived. And it was very convenient for her to find my apartment since it was in the same building as him.

When I reached my apartment, and opened the door (_which was unlocked, I should've checked!_), I screamed.

Yes, I screamed like a freaking girl.

Kaoru sat elegantly poised on the old worn out sofa. How she could look so sophisticated on something so...not sophisticated, I had no idea.

I noticed that she'd probably went home and changed because she was now wearing a knee-length white cotton dress, with full length sleeves and a simple thin belt above her waist.

Frankly, I'd never seen her wear anything so...elegant before, so all I could do was stare. Even her hair was pinned up into a neat braided bun. She glared at me when I stared at her legs for longer than I should.

She stood up and I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be scared and grovelling at her feet for mercy. But being the impulsive idiot that I am, I then said, "Will you go out with me?"

She didn't seem surprised as she came forward and clutched me by the shirt, "You have a lot of nerve, bastard. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Uh...was that a rhetorical question because I- _Argh!"_

She hit me against the wall, "Who put you up to this, huh? Who dared you? Your jackass friends?"

I pushed her away gently, "First off, I don't have friends. Second, I was being serious. I really like yo-"

_"Shut up,"_ she hissed, "Today I had to endure my classmates making kissy-faces at me and asking me if I was some kind of Jonas Brothers fangirl."

"Wait, you don't like the Jonas Brothers?" I was shocked, how could someone not like the Jonas Brothers?

She seemed confused, "I do like the Jonas Brothers," then she shook her head, "That's not the point. The point is that scene you made in the green house today. What the hell was that ab-"

"Good evening, Butch!" said Boomer as he sauntered into my apartment. He began to back out when he noticed Kaoru gripping me by the shirt and me glaring daggers at him, "Oh, uh. I didn't know you two were making out. I'll just leave you t-"

"We are _not_ making out," snapped Kaoru.

"But you wish we were," I added.

She slapped me.

Well, that escalated quickly.

I quickly scooped her into my arms, ignoring her protests and threw her over my shoulder. I then turned to Boomer, "You were saying?"

"Um, shouldn't you..."

"Naw, she's fine."

"Speak for yourself, asshole! Let go of me!" she exclaimed, struggling to break free from my grasp.

"Only if you don't injure me," I said, "I actually quite like my face."

"Yeah? Well, I don't!"

"That's too bad then." I then let her down in my bedroom and locked the door before she had a chance to escape.

"This is freaking illegal! I am human! I have rights! This goes against my rights!"

I raised my eyebrow, "Ever so melodramatic," I muttered.

Boomer looked perplexed, "You're not going to lock her in there forever, are you?"

I scoffed, "Dude, what the hell? No. I'm just going to finish talking with you and then I'll deal with her later."

"Isn't that the girl you like?"

"Yup."

"So, what makes you think that locking her in your bedroom sounds like a good idea?"

"The fact that she keeps hurting me. There's only so much patience I have."

_"You freaking bastard_! I swear I'll _kill _you!" she yelled.

Huh, maybe I should've given her something to occupy her time, "Would you like me to keep you company?"

"Fuck, no!"

"Suit yourself."

Boomer sighed, "Is this the wrong time?"

"Uh...maybe."

"Well, after you finish talking to her, could you come and see me?"

I nodded, "Of course. But it might take some time..." I pointed towards my bedroom door where sounds of hitting could be heard. Geez, the girl was violent and practically volatile.

Boomer left and I quickly unlocked the bedroom door. Kaoru tumbled out and I caught her. She stepped away from me, "The hell is wrong wi-"

She was cut off as I pressed my lips to hers. But I quickly pulled away, worried she might bite me or something. Her face was red but she looked shocked before enraged.

"I should be reporting you to the police!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "You overreact so easily."

"Overreact? _Overreact?_ Are you _kidding me?"_

"Easy, babe. Easy. Your vocal cords are very nice, but could you please tone it down a little? I have neighbours, you know."

She growled, "Does it look like I freaking care?"

"Well, you could."

"Well, I don't. Now, what's it going to take for you to quit ruining my life?"

"Hm, how about a date?"

"How about a 'no'?"

I grinned, "I like you. You're sassy _and_ sexy."

She looked like she wanted to throw me out the window. She probably would've if I hadn't locked her in the bedroom just now.

"You know. It's okay if you say 'no'," she seemed relieved, but then I added, "I guess I'll just have to sing more songs and-"

"No! Fine! I'll go on a freaking date with you!" Geez, was my singing that bad?

"How does a smoothie sound?"

She seemed surprised by the calm tone in my voice, "Uh, alright."

I then pulled her out the door with me and took the elevator to my brother's apartment. I knocked on the door and waited, then Boomer opened it and I stepped inside, "Hey, bro."

Boomer looked over my shoulder to find Kaoru behind me, she was frowning but other than that she didn't seem to do much, "Is she...?"

I rolled my eyes, "She's fine. We reached an agreement."

"A _forced_ agreement," she corrected. Boomer smiled and let us in. "Where's Miyako?"

"Uh, actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said, looking at me. He gestured for us to sit down, "Um, I don't know how to put this subtly, but I'm intending to propose to her."

"Woah, way to go, little bro!" I punched him playfully in the arm.

Even Kaoru managed a nice smile, "That sounds like a great idea, Boomer. I'm sure she'll appreciate it. She really likes you. So don't worry about the answer."

Boomer blushed, "There's actually another thing I wanted to discuss. You see, I don't really know what kind of..."

"What kind of ring she would like?"

He nodded, embarrassed.

"Well, did you have anything in mind? Do you have a budget plan, a certain figure you want to stick to? We can work our way from there."

Geez, Kaoru sounded like some kind of expert. While they both discussed the details and preferences, I leaned back to take a good look at her. She was so...graceful with the way she moved. She could be seriously violent when she wanted to, but at the same time she could be subtle. She wasn't too feminine but neither too far away either.

I couldn't even think of what to say about her. She was sexy. That was for sure.

"You're drooling," she muttered to me.

Oops. Boomer stifled a laugh and handed me a tissue.

* * *

"Three cheers to the happy engaged couple!" exclaimed Brick as he popped open a bottle. "Hip-hip!"

_"HOORAY!"_

"Hip-hip!"

_"HOORAY!"_

"Hip-hip!"

_"HOORAY!"_

"And another one for luck!"

_"HOORAY!"_

Momoko rolled her eyes, "Don't drink too much. You remember what happened last time?"

He sighed, "Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

I snorted and walked towards Boomer and Miyako to congratulate them. It had been three months and we all felt like family. I turned to grin at Kaoru who was walking beside me, holding my hand, "Enjoying the party, darling?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Parties aren't really my thing."

"Mine either. This is the first party I've been invited to since starting university."

She grinned, "I guess we both have something in common."

"That neither of us get invited to parties?"

"Yeah," she closed in, "But we can always make our own parties."

I smirked, "Yeah, I guess we could," I then pressed my lips against hers, then I pulled away, "But it would be pretty boring with just the two of us, wouldn't it?"

"I'm sure we could figure out something."

I gave her sly look, "I have a few ideas," I murmured as I kissed her once more.

We both suddenly sprang apart when Brick decided to open a champagne bottle in our direction and the cork flew between us. I was going to hit him but then Kaoru growled and threw a small miniature cactus plant at him.

That's my girl.

Momoko scolded Kaoru and immediately went to treat Brick. He blushed furiously and said that he was a man and that his pride was being injured. Boomer laughed. So did I.

And by the end of the night, when we all bid our good wishes and goodbyes and parted our ways, I tugged Kaoru into my apartment.

"And we're here...why?"

I smirked but didn't answer her.

"Are those...scented candles?"

The lights were turned off, so it was difficult to see around, even with the candles. But I didn't have much problem navigating since I knew where everything was in my own apartment.

But because Kaoru didn't, I quickly scooped her up into my arms and took her to the bedroom.

She laughed and said, "Please tell me you have ice-cream."

"Are you kidding me? I go out of my way to be all romantic, and you're thinking about ice-cream?"

I then set her down on the bed and hovered over her, as she flushed. It must've been the alcohol because she looked delightfully pleasant from this view. Then again, I only had one small glass.

"You look great tonight," I murmured into her ear as I brushed my lips against her jaw.

She bit her lip, "Uh...thank you..."

I guess bad luck didn't follow me around all the time. Because I realised that I was already lucky. I had great brothers, great friends...and a great girlfriend.

I smirked and rubbed my nose with hers, "You don't have any classes tomorrow, do you?"

"No. Why?"

My smirk grew wider, "We might be awake for some time."

And with that, I leaned down to kiss her again. Pfsh, and they said I was bad with girls.

"Ow, you're hurting my shoulder!"

Oops. "Sorry."

* * *

**AN: Thank goodness I got this out by the end of the month. This is where my other one-shot 'When in Venice' comes in, so check it out if you want.**

**Now...more on updates? Why, yes.**

**I'll be posting up a new story next week, so look out for that! I still haven't decided on a title, but for now I'm thinking of calling it 'Hackerz' or 'The ICT Club'. Any suggestions appreciated. It will be a ButchxKaoru fanfic.**

**Anyways, enough of my weird rambling... Just wanted to wish you guys a happy summer! Whoo!**

**And…**

**Review!**

_**(you know you want to!)**_


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